Penguins acquire Tomas Vokoun from Capitals

By Finesse

The Pens traded a 7th round pick to the Capitals for the rights to Tomas Vokoun.  The Pens then signed Vokoun to a 2-year contract at $2 million/year.  Vokoun waived a no-trade clause to come to Pittsburgh.

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This is a great move for the Pens.  We said all season that the backups the Pens were trotting out there were not cutting it and it was time to invest more into the position.  During the year, it wasn't meant as a shot at Fleury -- it was more about just having a more competent backup.  The popular notion that Fleury was overworked this year doesn't hold  up.  He played in 67 games, just two more than '10-'11, the same as '09-'10, and 5 more than '08-'09.  The problem during the season wasn't Fleury being tired, it's that the backups were terrible and the Pens hardly won any of those games.  The result was the #4 seed, and we know how that turned out.

But with Fleury's meltdown in the playoffs, a competent backup is more necessary than ever.  We've always been loathe for the Pens to have anything resembling a goal-tending controversy, but that was when Fleury had earned the right not to battle for his position.  We love MAF, but he's lost that right.  He should still be the #1 goalie, and it's clearly his job to lose.  It's just that the leash is a little tighter, and that's a good thing.

To sum it up, there are 2 benefits to this move.  The Pens actually may have a chance at winning games Fleury doesn't start, and if Fleury goes meltdown mode in the playoffs again, we have a Plan B.  Good trade.